Welcome to the 3rd Bead Soup Blog Party!
What is a Bead Soup Blog Party?
The Bead Soup Blog Party is a creative challenge where each beader was paired up with another jewelry designer and tasked with sending the following:
A focal
A special clasp (not just a lobster claw)
Some coordinating spacers or beads
A special clasp (not just a lobster claw)
Some coordinating spacers or beads
Using the focal and the clasp was mandatory, but we could use anything from our own stash to round out the rest, and choose to use the coordinating beads or not. Besides being a bead swap, the Bead Soup Blog Party is meant to stimulate creativity by forcing designers to use materials that they normally would not have selected for themselves.
Here's what I made:
My partner was Brenda Salzano. She's a talented mixed-media artist from the Northwest. She sent a great mix of very earthy and organic components, many of which were vintage. Brenda was really generous and sent a plentiful batch of "soup ingredients"; I felt that one of my challenges was to edit down the selection and focus on just a few of the pieces.
I did add some components to the Bead Soup recipe. I wanted to bring the greenish blue color up, but also wanted the scale to be more dainty, so I substituted Vietnamese ceramic rounds instead of the more chunky aventurine cubes. I also wanted to bring the red, blue, green combination up into the piece and incorporated enameled headpins from Objects & Elements, Swarovski crystal pearls from Fusion Beads, and enameled bead caps from C-Koop Beads.For me, one of the trickiest parts was using the button as the clasp. It went through several incarnations, with beaded loops, strands of Soft Flex, and a variety of wire hooks... but I instead settled on putting it on some extender jump rings and use a swivel-lobster clasp. (I know, it bends the rules a little bit, but I think the piece benefits from the clean connection.)
Come see what the rest of us made!
1. Lori Anderson, Pretty Things
4. Lisa Petrillo, Lucid Moon Studio
5. Anitra Gordy, Leelu Creations
6. Paige Maxim, Paige Maxim Designs
7. Marianna Boylan, Pretty Shiny Things
8. Cheryl Roe, BeadRoe
9. Heidi Post, Ex Post Facto
10. Cindy Wimmer, Sweet Bead Studio
11. Terri Gauthier, Blooming Ideas
12. Rachel Walsh, Balanced Crafts
13. Marian Hertzog, M's Place
14. Mary McGraw, MK's Musings
15. Sarabeth Burke, Chronicles of Sarita
17. Erin Prais-Hintz, Treasures Found
18. Laura Zeiner, Stick Lizard Designs
19. Kristin Latimer, MJM Jewelry Designs
20. Cathryn Brooks-Williams, Chile Cats
21. Holly Westfall, Silver Rose Designs
23. Libby Leuchtman, Libby Leu
24. Rebecca Anderson, Songbeads
25. Deb Hunter, Living On Air
26. Diana Ptaszynski, Suburban Girl Studio
28. Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter
29. Cyndi Lavin, Beading Arts
30. Courtney Breul, Beads by Breul
31. Stefanie Teufel, Stefanie's Sammelsurium
32. Patricia Gasparino, My Life Under the Bus
33. Tari Khars, Pearl and Pebble
34. Kristi Bowman-Gruel, Kristi Bowman Design
35. Jayne Capps, Mama's Got to Doodle
36. Becky Fairclough, Chameleons Designs
37. Evie and Beth McCord, EB Bead & Metal Works
38. Lynne Bowland, Islandgirl's Insights
39. Barbara Lewis, Painting With Fire
40. Lorelei Eurto, Inside the Studio
41. Stacy Hartis, Sissy & Jack's
42. Jennifer Cameron, Glass Addictions
44. Johanna Rhodes, Fire Phoenix Creations
47. Amanda Davie, Articulations
48. Cherin Poovey, Lanyard Lady
49. Virginia Joste, ViviBijoux
50. Andrew Thornton, The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton (YOU ARE HERE!)
51. Lori Dorrington, Lori's Glassworks
52. Melanie Brooks, Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
53. Kate Gardenghi, Tropical Blonde
54. Serena Trent, PinkIce Jewel's Blog
55. Malin de Koning, Beading by Malin de Koning
56. Shai Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings
58. Amy Freeland, Copper Diem
59. Lisa Liddy, Joolz By Lisa
60. Sandi Lee James, Do Be Do Bead Do
62. Stacey Curry, Star Hitched Wagon
63. Leslie Gidden, Mad Maggie Designs
64. Elisabeth Auld, Beads For Busy Gals
65. Niky Sayers, Silver Nik Nats
66. Linda Djokic, Lutka and Co.
67. Tracy Bell, Copper, Glass, and Recycled Trash
68. Laurel Steven, Rue's Daftique
69. Ingrid McCue, Wrapped In Silver
70. Birgitta Lejonklou, Create With Spirit
71. Diana Hawkey, Diana Hawkey
72. Norma Turvey, Moonlit Fantaseas
73. Jeanette Ryan, Jeanette Blix
74. Jackie Ryan, Silver Lodge Gems
75. Jean Yates, Snap Out of it Jean, There's Beading to Be Done!
80. Emma Thomas, Fred Beans Nook
81. Karen Zanco, Everyday Gypsy
82. Suzann Sladcik Wilson, Beadphoria
83. Janet McDonald, Singing Woods
84. Dana James, Dana's Jewelry Designs
85. Kristina Johansson, Wild Roses and Blackberries
86. CJ Bauschka, CJ Bauschka
87. Angela Barribea, Re: Angela Rae
88. Marcy Lamberson, Studio Marcy
89. Tanya Floyd, Glass Migrations
90. Lisa Kavanaugh, Beading Bliss
94. Karyn White, Releases By Rufydoof
96. Sandy Richardson, Sandy's Coloring Box
98. Stacie Stamper, Park Avenue
99. Mallory Hoffman, For the Love of Beads
100. Linda Landig, Linda's Bead Blog and Meanderings
101. Nicole Valentine-Rimmer, N. Valentine Studio
103. Charlene Gary, Gray Girl Studios
104. Rubiee Hayes, Glitter and Keys Galore
105. Marge Beebe, Rock Creek Creations
106. Elizabeth Freeman, Turquoise Sky
107. Shelby Foxwell, Sundown Bead Designs Rhetoric
108. Lynda Moseley, Diva Designs
109. Grace Danel, Grace Beading
110. Lois Moon, Que Onda Quitman
111. Agnes Shapiro, Beader Bubbe
113. Judy Glende, Judith B. Designs
114. Mary Ellen Parker, Bee Tree By Me
115. Barbara Bechtel, Second Surf
116. Charlene Sevier, The Bead Dreamer
119. Ronda Adams, The Ravished Heart
129. Margaret Saari, Mags-Jewelry
131. Penny Neville, Copper Penny
132. Angela Blasingame, Hopemore
133. Helena Fritz, Beadwork by H's Blog
134. Stephanie LaRose, Confessions of a Bead Hoarder
135. Stephanie Haussler, PixyBug Designs
137. Maryse Thillens, Glass Bead Art
138. Jennifer Pride, Jewelry by J.P.
139. Shannon Chomanczuk, For My Sweet Daughter
140. Lisa Godfrey, Bead Happy
141. Heather Pyle, Welcome to My Muse
142. Regina Santerre, Regina's Writings
143. Liz DeLuca, Creative Arty Facts
144. Sig Wynne-Evans, Beaded Bear's Nonsense
145. Loretta Carstensen, Loretta's Boutique
150. JJ Jacobs, Coming Abstractions
151. Carrie Tahquechi, Carrie T
152. Staci Smith, Staci Louise Originals
154. Ema Kilroy, Ema K Designs
155. Magdalena Sikora, Poranna Gazeta
156. Nicole Keller, Nicki's Reef
157. Ann Rishell, My Critical Eye
160. Barbara Blaszczyk, Labotorium Flory
161. Collette Collins, Firefly Myst
162. Carola Greiser, Polymer Clay Shed
163. Joanna Kopijczuk, Bizuteria z Filcu
165. Cassandra Watsham, Design by Cassandra
166. Anna Motz, Stunning
167. Shea Zukowski, Gr8findings
168. Susan Kennedy, Sue Beads
169. Lisa Boucher, Lisa's Clay Happenings
170. Hope Smitherman, Crafty Hope
171. Alison Crenshaw, Beads by Earth Tones
176. Menka Gupta, Menka's Blog
177. Patsy Evins, Patsy Evins Studio
178. Cherrie Fick, En La Lumie're
179. Suzette Bentley, Ellie's Bijoux
180. Molly Alexander, Beautifully Broken Me
181. Lyn Foley, Lyn Foley Wearable Art
182. Tara Plote, The Newbie Beader's Blog
184. Kim Hutchinson, Running on Ink
186. Grace Caputo, Suddenly Last Summer
189. Janea McDonald, Organized Chaos
190. Kristi Evenson, Colie Bug & Co.
191. Linda Inhelder, Must Haves Jewelry
192. Hilary Frye, FryeStyle
193. Whitney Lassini, Whitney Lassini
194. Nancy Schindler, The Rabbit Muse
195. Pam Brisse, The Blue Between
196. Beth Bricker, Vintage Sweets
197. Ruthie Stickney, Rose Works Jewelry and Gifts
198. Rose Noble, Lady Noble Designs
199. Karen Williams, Baublicious
200. Claire Maunsell, The Next Bend
201. Christine Damm, Stories They Tell
202. Kerry Bogert, Kab's Creative Concepts
203. Wendy Blum, Sand & Sea Designs
204. Juli Cannon, Julsbeads
205. Jenny Robledo, La Dona Boutique
206. Krista French, French Elegant Jewelry
207. Pam Krinski, Ewa Beads
208. Melissa Meman, Melissa Meman, Art, Life, Love
209. Dana Jones, Dana's Jewelry
210. Shirley Moore, Beads and Bread
The next party's sign ups begin August 1-3, 2011. Don't miss it!
112 comments:
Andrew , I just love your design! A design after my own soul, with simplicity, color and depth of harmony! It was great to have you as a bead partner!!!!
Wow, this came out beautifully! You could have gone many different ways with this selection, and I appreciate that you walked us through your process of winnowing down and combining the various components to arrive at what is really a striking piece. Great idea for the button clasp, too. Thanks for sharing!
What an unmanageably huge list!
thanks for sharing your process, i think it's beautiful..love those bird charms, i sent my partner a button for a clasp as well..thought it would be more challenging. your solution works perfectly.
I Love what you did with your Bead Soup, you were sent many beads. But with what you chose its just so right! Really a Wonderful Creation Andrew!x
Love the finished pieces Andrew. I love how the focal stands out in it as well, and great job in mixing and using the colors..fabulous!
Very nice - love the look!
Beautiful! You have really brought your own stamp to the lovely ingredients you were sent. Very pretty.
Love the simplicity and balance in your design. It is beautiful.
Very nice piece - I love the center of this necklace - the way the pieces lead to the final focal - lovely.
I love the clean lines and the little bird charms. It looks like you got a pretty cool pendant there, too. Nice work.
Andrew you are very creative,a very unique design i really love the details you include, the bird, the pendant with the bird house & right down to the feather on the table u are one creative guy very inspiring i am having a blast hop hopping around the "Bead Soup Party"
Hi Andrew, I love it! I love her focal! Very nice piece!
This is such an elegant result...very nice.
Great bead soup, love the pendant with the little houses & birds! Andrew your design is very creative and I really like the touch of art bead components you added.
So pretty and simple! Just amazing!
Nice work and I don't think anyone will be upset with a little bend in the rules.
Love your design, Andrew! Great idea for the clasp:)
I was wondering when you would pop up! Lovely piece! You achieved the dainty for sure :) Great job!
This is such a great Necklace!
Really really wonderful! You recieved
alot of beads but I like best with what you chose to work with
So elegant ~ it's fascinating to see how your choices were able to draw out different elements of the focal bead. And your clasp solution is completely on point.
Most of all, I'm glad to see your refreshing perspective in this round ... though I am curious to know what you had cooking on your real stove what you were busy creating this piece.
Very cool, I like how it flows together and especially love the bird charms!
So beautiful! I love this one, you did a fantastic job with your soup!
Love it, Andrew! Simple, sleek and very elegant. I like your style.
Stunningly simple - I loved the way you put this one together.
That focal is wonderful and you definitely did it justice.
Wonderful piece, Andrew! Your the best at always making something "your own"!
Andrew,
I love the beautiful simplicity of is. Very nicely done.
simple and well balanced...a very nice feel. wonderful work!
Lovely necklace. Warm and evocative.
Beautiful design, I love the simplicity.
The clasp works nicely, and I like the free flying feeling of the bird.
Simple and nice design, as all your pieces are. You brought out that blue pendant really nicely and I love the "chain" (I thought it was chain at first).
You came up with a beautiful design with your soup ingredients! Those long beads intrigue me. As did the clasp ...what a great solution that you came up with!
Perfection:)
Beautiful design, so clean. Love that focal bead!Your soup recipe was tasty.
Love how you pulled the colors out. You got some great ingredients to work with. Very nice piece!
Very pretty and dainty!
very nice!
Andrew! That is beautiful! I love the organic look you created using your beautiful components! Wow!
#209 here...pretty, great job...
simply wonderful - clean and beautiful.
Very classy!!
Sig
A wonderful necklace !
the way You put those tube beads together to look like a chain is amazing <3<3<3
Love the colors and simplicity of this design. The bird over the bird house pendant is perfect and I love those long tube beads. Very tasty and original recipe!!
Very Cool!!!
Cool piece!
I love the simplicity of style and clean lines, however when you look a little closer there are a few more little extra design elements than what you first think, love the long beads and the little bird over the house.
Andrew this is just the perfect necklace for everyday with jeans, which is what I wear everyday. I love how the main focus of the necklace is all drawn to the focal, which is very cool. All of the components blend to make this stunning. I have seen the enameled headpins and passed on buying them, now they are on my list to buy. Beautiful job!
Love your design Andrew, the focal bead has a lovely mix of colours, great choice of beads.
Jackie
certainly proof that less can indeed be more! Your work is always Wonderful!
This design is no exception!!! A necklace as Light and Lovely as a Spring breeze !
PERFECT!
m.e. :)
I love how you picked up the reds from the bird house in the dangles. Bravo!
I love the simplicity. That focal is wonderful!!!
The edits you made to your selection of ingredients really makes this piece stand out. I agree the button clasp look great as a clean connection. Very nice!
LOVE the pendant, and love the simplicity -- I really think that pendant called for it. And I have never, ever, ever, been able to make a button work as a clasp. I always mess it up, make it too big or too small, and that means I have to redo my ENTIRE creation.
You did a wonderful job!
Andrew, I love what you made but then I always love what you make. You can do no wrong! You have magic bead hands!
That's a very nice necklace!
This has a wonderfully organic feel~ in this case simple really is best. Beautiful!
I love the splash of red in this piece. The pendant coordinates so well with the components you used! I love everything about it, and will wear it in a heartbit.
Beautiful work.
A very Zen kind of beauty about this one, Andrew. I like the chain connection to the pendant.
It looks as though it is telling a story or is a sort of talisman - beautiful!
What wonderful soup you had! Love the necklace, so colorful! Just splendid!
Fantastic job, Andrew. This piece is so nicely balanced... you definitely have an eye for design.
I remember looking at your components and wondering what on earth you were going to do with that - I love it!
I love hearing about the thinking process of designing a piece of jewelry. I actually visualized all the possibilities with you as you traveled on your personal and beautiful conclusion! Lovely design!
I love the way you crafted your soup. Sometimes rules are meant to be broken and your improvised clasp works well in your piece. Love it.
So beautiful friend, I love this necklace & what you did with your SOUP! Simple Stunning!!! ;)
Thanks for sharing...
Susie
Simple and elegant! Each piece is in the right place! Love it!
I like the way you used the long bits and it comes across very chain like!
Have a wonderful day!
Andrew, that turned out really beautiful! I love the beads you chose and the placement. The long bone beads are especially cool and I love the dangling beads and what you did with the pendant. Someone will have a lot of fun wearing That!
this is a lovely piece! i love it!
A study in simplicity and beauty. Divine!
You do a great job with capturing something natural and organic in your piece. Wonderful!
beautiful! fabulous job with your soup!
sarabeth
Andrew, this is a beautiful, simple and yet complex necklace! I love the way it flows.
Simple but also very complex and detailed love what you have done with this necklace.
Andrew...I really like your take on the soup ingredients. It is always hard to choose exactly what to use when your partner is so generous :) My fav part is the bird flying over the house pendant...it makes me smile!
You have created a beautiful piece. I love the variation of design elements. The focal pendant from your soup partner is quite beautiful too.
Ema
Rules were meant to be bent when the results are this wonderful :-)
This is so cool, I love the focal piece. Lynn
Thinking outside the box...what a creation! :)
Thank you for the kind words you left me on my blog. You are very kind. I loved how you made the bone tubes into a chain. I may have to incorporate that into one of my next projects. I have some cute brown with white polkadots on them. Hmmm, I'm not going to get much sleep now...
Love it!! You did a wonderful and very cool job!
Beautiful Andrew! I feel like your piece tells a story with the bird flying away from home. Nicely done!
knock knock i hear birds...excellent design!
Aw, such a sweet little soup. :) I'm loving what you did with it; it has a nice down homey feel and the understated style suits the subdued colors really well. It's as if the necklace itself is holding its breath and hoping for a little feathered friend to alight for a moment. <3 Very, very lovely. :)
I absolutely love hearing the hows and the whys of design. That is one of the most exciting parts of this. Your sweet, but hardly simple design is a beauty. I love those mother of pearl tubes (?). I thought that was a chain until I looked closer. The colors are so cheery and it is a great mix that you got. That button would have been hard for me too, I always fall back on a button hole made of seed beads! I like what you did so much. Thank you for sharing your inspiration.
Off to hop some more... might be until Easter, but I will get it done! ;-)
Enjoy the day!
Erin
A lovely and harmonious piece! Tells me of an inner balance of the artist <3
Wow what an awesome soup mix! I love what you created - the piece has a definite calm feel to it and that focal is just too cute. Well done!
Karyn
Australia
Hi Andrew, always great to meet another Thornton. I've been reading your blog for about two and a half years but have only recently started my own blog, hence I'm now an official follower of yours. I don't manage to visit your blog everyday. Our band width is a bit slow in SA. I would happily wear the jewellery you make.
What a beautiful design. I love the natural look of it, wonderful!
I'm about the last one to the party, so I got to read your post today, which I much enjoyed. Are you familiar with the book "The Beauty of Different (or something close to that)"? I got it for Christmas and highly recommend it.
Anyway, your bead soup is swell. Nice editing. I'd really like to see a closeup of your clasp because I couldn't picture it at all after several reads.
Very creative use of the materials. I love the design.
truly a lovely simple design. It's just scrumptious!
Bead Happy!
Michelle
I love how the very different pieces came together to create this great necklace!
Thank you for your creativity... so nice piece of bead art you serve to us... Love that long necklace... as I don't wear such at all..
Greetings
Great work! simple yet very beautiful.
Oh Andrew, it's just amazing. I love the eclectic whimsy of it. So wearable and so fun! You've really made a remarkable piece.
Thx for visiting my blog Andrew - like you, I often do and re-do till i get it right. I really love your piece. Lots of different elements that complement each other nicely!
Thanks for visiting my blog! I love that little winged heart, does your sister sell online anywhere?
I really like the simplicity of this piece. The colors POP all the more for it!
Great job `;~)
Very nice design... I like your color choices. Very pretty!
I love the length of this, and also that you allowed the glorious focal bead to really BE a focal. Wonderful soup mixture...
Simple and beautiful. It's just perfect :) I think it's fine you bent the rules a smidge on the clasp ;)
Beautiful design; lovely focal. I like what you did with the components; complementary without overwhelming. Glad to be in this group with you!
Really lovely - I especially like the long focal element. I bet it has loads of movement to it! :D
I know Brenda and her work is amazing.
She has told me about you and your talent and I love what you did with your ingredients. What fun!!!
I am still making my way to all the blogs. The components you picked perfectly highlighted the focal in its simplicity.
I am still making my way to all the blogs. The components you picked perfectly highlighted the focal in its simplicity.
love the bird house bead. love the chain you added.
Hi Andrew,
I like the simplicity of your piece. It is fresh and romantic at the same time, but it also it feels as if it is hiding some story that must be told.
I would also like to thank you for your lovely comment. It has really meant a lot as I am going through a tough time.
I have written a thank you post on my blog and it would be lovely if you could read it if you find the time.
A big hug your way.
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